


Quiet

by MaybeMeagan



Category: Free!
Genre: I'm not sorry, M/M, Robot/Human Relationships, it's a robot fic so get ready
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-01
Updated: 2014-08-01
Packaged: 2018-02-11 08:28:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2061126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaybeMeagan/pseuds/MaybeMeagan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Makoto lives a simple life at home until he becomes caretaker to his work's newest project</p>
            </blockquote>





	Quiet

**Author's Note:**

> I had literally no idea what to name this ahh. I'm so sorry I am robot loving filth

It’s quiet.

It’s always quiet when Makoto first wakes up in the morning. He looks across the bed into the empty space. He sit there quietly looking into the distance before finally getting up. There is a photo of a family in a nice frame on his nightstand. He looks at it briefly before nodding and leaving the room.

He makes his way into the bathroom and looks into the mirror after a bit. He’s lost weight again. He feels the prickles on his chin and sighs as he begins to shave. When he’s done he looks at himself for a moment before turning his back on the man in the mirror.

The house Makoto lives in is much too big for just one person but it is home and he can’t bring himself to leave it.

The living area is clean for a man of his age. Makoto finds peace in his room. Even the parts that are less than clean. It’s just him and it can be how he likes. His favorite mug in a good spot.

But there are holes in the home. Empty spaces that seems almost purposeful. Makoto would be lying if he said he doesn’t really notice. It doesn’t stop him from telling that to company.

Makoto sighs into his window looking from its view to the pile of papers on an end table.

There was a note next to a half full coffee mug that reads: “Call Nagisa” signed by himself with the date for three days ago. Nagisa was never called. The younger man he had grown up faded in and out of Makoto’s life. It was hard finding common ground with only the two of them as Makoto was often too overbearing for his free spirited companion.

But he does have time before work to call his old friend. Shuffling through his things he finally found a phone. Makoto’s was a much older model then many of his coworkers and few friends but as he future quickened it seemed to Makoto that he wanted it to slow down and never thought to replace it with a more updated module.

The ringing. The ringing is always the hardest part of phone calls for Makoto. It makes him want to turn off the phone. Before he has a chance to a voice answers.

“Makoto?”

“How did you know it was me?”

“Caller ID was invented before we were born Makoto.” There is a laugh here but it’s exhausted.

“Oh right,” Makoto leans his back against the wall. “How are you?”

“You are three days late.”

“Excuse me?”

“Makoto you are supposed to check in with me!” Nagisa whines on the other end making Makoto wince. “What if something happened? I would have no idea.”

“Nothing has happened.”

“Promise?” Nagisa says this and Makoto knows the other man has his pinky in the air so he lifts his own.

“I promise,” Makoto shifts his pinky in the air. “Today is happy.”

“Good,” Makoto can feel Nagisa’s worried smile through the phone. “Remember that we have plans to see everyone soon”

“I remember.”

“We are all really excited to see you,” Nagisa continues. Makoto walks into the kitchen preparing to make some tea.

“It’s been forever, Mako! Everyone will have a lot of fun stories and we miss you okay?”

Makoto is silent for a bit.

“Makoto?”

“I miss you guys, too.”

This time it is Nagisa who is silent.

“Mako-chan,” he whines into the phone. “I’ve been so worried!” He sounds like he is about cry but Makoto knows he isn’t. They’ve had this conversation before. They are going to have it again.

They chat for a bit before Nagisa suddenly remembers something and has to get off the phone. Makoto reassures him he does not mind and then hangs up.

“Today is happy,” he mutters to himself brushing his hair with his hands.

“Today is happy,” he repeats again softly. He was told that mantras are helpful. Makoto looks into the window. He can see Iwatobi. It’s surprisingly quaint. Makoto is sometimes glad he was born here.

Today is happy he repeats one last time to himself.  Still needing to do his regiment before work, he wipes his face with his hand and looking out the window last time, Makoto let out a lofty sigh and began to get ready.

* * *

 

Makoto works for a company that deals with coding and preparing androids for their eventual work in the field. It was not a glamorous nor exciting job and Makoto himself always imagined growing up that he would do something that helped people more.

When he was a child he would have dreams about being a firemen. Sometimes those dreams return but he always stops by a familiar diner. Makoto always wakes up from those dreams more tired than before.

Arriving to his job, he bows politely to the receptionist. Her name is Ahiru and she’s engaged with four siblings. Makoto remembers all of their conversations. She doesn’t remember his name.

“Good morning, Michiru.”

“Good morning, Ahiru.”

He soon gets to his desk and sits down. He already wants to go home.

With that thought Makoto was called into a back room by a coworker. Apparently something about the boss wanting to see him this very instant about one of the new models.

Makoto was expecting a big breasted anime character come to life, like the food service girls they had been mass producing as of late. They were almost laughable in proportions but still it felt awkward to work with them.

But instead of a moe explosion, Makoto saw a boy standing in the middle of the room next to his boss.

It was the very first time Makoto saw him and he could have sworn he had seen him a million times before.

“Makoto,” he boss touched his shoulder making him jump a bit. “Meet Haruka.”

“Hello, Haruka,” Makoto said bowing. The boy blinked and then bowed slightly back. Makoto smiled at him despite himself.

“Hello, Makoto,” the voice that came out was surprisingly deep and manlier then Makoto was expecting.

“No need to be so polite,” his boss laughed then grabbed him by the shoulder again. “Well, little experimental android HAR1467 or Haruka for short because HARI467 is not the name you want to give out to a pretty lady,” he laughs at his own joke here. Makoto laughs politely back.

“Is for a new line of bots,” he continues Makoto focuses more on the boy on the platform then the man speaking. “They aren’t really for any jobs per say but for companionship. Little Haruka here is just a test so he’s more fragile then what the completed product is projected to be like.”

“Mhm,” Makoto hums turning away from Haruka and to the boss. “So what are we doing with him?”

“Not so much we but you,” another laugh that Makoto just smiles through. “You are going to watch over him and make a detailed report for us weekly about his progression.”

“Me?” Makoto looked back to the boy who seemed to be listening in on the conversation.

“You got lucky,” his boss smiled. “We wanted to see who Haruka would naturally choose so we showed him pictures of all the workers and he chose you and that got me thinking since you live alone you are a perfect match!” Makoto nodded then looked to Haruka.

“Would you like to come home, Haruka?” He asked.

“Yes,” Haruka was expressionless but Makoto found himself thinking the android was happy.

* * *

 

They don’t say much to each other on their way back home. Makoto does not know what to say and choose to just not speak.

They get to the house. Haruka looks up to it.

“It’s big,” he finally says.

“I guess it is” Makoto says unlocking the door.

“Why do you live in such a big house?”

“It was my families.”

“Was?”

“Yeah.” Makoto says not looking behind him taking off his shoes. Haruka doesn’t say anything just walks in beside Makoto taking in his new home.

Starting his new life with Haruka was surprisingly easy. Except like any person, the android has his quirks the main being his odd obsession with water.

The first incident happened not long after Makoto brought him home. The boy started to inspect the sink.

“What is this?”

“Let me show you.”

Makoto turned on the sink and Haruka’s eyes widened. Expressions looked nice on his face and Makoto was excited to make him make so many more.

“Water,” Makoto said as Haruka reached for the water. Makoto quickly grabbed it.

“No touching though,” he smiled not letting go. “You’re a delicate model and not quite water proof, okay? A little probably won’t hurt but we don’t want anything bad to happen okay?”

Haruka didn’t answer. His gaze kept on the flowing water until Makoto turned it off.

“What is water like?”

“Excuse me?” Makoto scratched the back of his head. “You can run a search on it right? That’ll be more useful than asking me.”

“I already did,” Haruka says looking from the sink to Makoto. “What is it like?”

“Weightless, I guess? I use to swim when I was in school but I didn’t really have the drive to keep on doing it. It felt nice. It’s not like waking. It’s almost free.”

“Free,” Haruka mouthed and then blinked slowly. “I think I understand.”

“Let me show you the rest of our home.”

* * *

 

The rest of the first week runs smoothly. Makoto sees his old friends and explains to them his new situation. They are intrigued and a little worried. Makoto reassures them he will be fine.

Haruka spends his time when Makoto is away trying to learn and explore this home.

Makoto keeps a lot of pictures in the house that is too big for him.  Haruka doesn’t understand Makoto. Makoto sometimes looks out the window for a long time or looks like he is about to cry but doesn’t before bed. Haruka doesn’t understand it but he finds himself wanting to do things for the man he’s living with.  

There are cookbooks on a shelf in the living room. Haruka has read it ten times and thinks he is at the point where he can make one of the recipes. He finds himself reading the one about mackerel again and again.

Haruka waits for Makoto a lot. He does not mind because Makoto is the person he chose. He does not know why he chose Makoto exactly, still running checks on all his systems trying to figure it out.

Sometimes Haruka thinks it’s because he likes Makoto’s face.

Most of the time he thinks something drew him to the other man like Haruka was supposed to be there. He thinks humans call it destiny.

He wonders, reading about cooking, if Makoto also thinks it destiny.

* * *

 

                “Why do you read,” Makoto asks Haruka when he comes home. “Can’t you just do internet checks?”

“Why do you read,” Haruka says not looking up from his book. “Humans have the capability to use the internet too.”

Makoto stands silent for a moment before laughing. It’s the first time Haruka has heard him laugh like that.  It’s not polite but natural. Haruka assumes Makoto’s laughs must feel the same way water does.

* * *

 

Writing reports on his time with his robotic companion gets easier with every one that is finished. When writing the first report Makoto looked upon a blank screen for what felt like many hours. _Should I mention that we eat meals together?_ _HAR1467 really likes water (is that important? I don’t know.) No problems with programing as of now. All operations are running smoothly._

Haruka sometimes sits behind him while he writes.

“You wear glasses?”

“I do.”

“They suit you.”

“Thank you.”

The conversations are usually short and not of any importance but Makoto always seems to remember then when he sits to write about Haruka. After the first few weeks he completely forgets that Haruka is actually HAR1467 and only uses his name.

* * *

 

Makoto soon gets comfortable with Haruka around. Days turn into weeks and weeks turn into a month so fast that he forgets about his outside life until the phone rings.

“Hello?”

“Hey,” a gruff voice comes from the other line that Makoto could never forget.

“Hello, Rin,” Makoto says putting down the book he was reading. Haruka looks at him from a chair.

“Who is Rin?” He asks. Makoto mouths a friend.

“I was wondering if you wanted to get together some time,” Rin says and Makoto thinks he can make out Sosuke, Rin’s boyfriend and roommate in the background. “It’s been a while and according to Nagisa you don’t get much real human interaction these days spending it all with that thing.”

“Haruka.”

“What?”

“His name is Haruka.”

There is a silence here. Haruka doesn’t mean to eavesdrop but he can hear each word getting exchanged. He tries to look focused on the book in his lap.

“Okay whatever,” Rin continues sounding slightly more agitated. “But still I really want get together. Is next Sunday good for you?”

“It should be.”

“Okay see you then.”

Makoto hangs up the phone and sighs before grabbing a glass and some pills from the kitchen taking them in a place he thinks Haruka won’t see him before returning to his place on the couch.

Haruka looks at the other man. He often wondered what the real difference between the two of them was. Haruka for all extensive purposes was human. No one would look at him and question his humanity but the soft buzzing that poured from his shell told otherwise.

Yet Makoto doesn’t look like the other humans he’s seen either. Haruka frowns because he does not know why he feels this way.

“Are you sad?” Makoto asked with a smile brushing off some things off the couch: what looked to be an old throw blanket and a magazine with a smiling woman on it cradling a younger human. He gestured at the space next to him.

Not knowing why, Haruka sat next to him wordlessly. Makoto smiled and it made him happy. He smiled too.

“I don’t know,” he finally answers leaning into Makoto. “Am I heavy?”

“No.” Makoto tells him brushing his hand in his hair.

“Can you tell me about water again?” Blue eyes to green.

Makoto always does.

* * *

 

That night Haruka lies down next to Makoto to but does not shut down and instead watches the man for a bit. He thinks he knows what feeling he gets when watches him sleep. It causes his system to buzz a little louder than usual.

He does not shut down this night as soon as Makoto falls asleep but instead opts to watch him for a little bit. He reaches out to touch him but stops. Makoto says he feels just like a human but Haruka isn’t sure he believes him.

Humans lie. Therefor logically Makoto has to lie. Haruka frowns.

“Good night, Makoto,” he says softly before closing his own eyes.

* * *

 

 “Why do you take those?” Haruka lifted the pill container from its spot next to the fridge. Makoto tensed and then tried to smile but it was forced.

“No reason,” he said turning around, fidgeting with the papers on the desk. Haruka frowned and he could feel it cut into his back.

“Can humans break like I can?” he asked quietly. 

“Yes,” Makoto said turning back to face him. “We do.”

“Are you breaking?”

“Not right now.”

“Are you happy?”

“I’m happy.”

“I’m happy when I’m with you Makoto.”

“Thank you, Haru.”

Haru sounded nice, Haruka thought, leaning into Makoto.

“What were they like?” Haruka says after a while of just sitting there. Makoto has started to mindlessly mess with his hair again. 

“Who?” he says breathily. He sounds tired but continues to run his fingers through.

“The people in the photos beside the bed.”

“They were good,” Makoto says and wonders how long it has been since he thought about them. Not just in passing but really talked about them. “They were my family. I had a mom and a dad and two younger siblings.”

“I loved them very much,” he continues bring his hands down. “It was raining and I was studying at home. There was this accident and that was it. Modern medicine is so advanced but it couldn’t save them. My large family was down to just me.”

“I’m sorry,” Haruka says squeezing Makoto’s hand

“No,” Makoto says shutting his eyes squeezing Haruka’s hand back. “It was hard, the first years. You would have liked them. They would have loved you, the twins.”

“I’d treat them well,” Haruka says and is confused when Makoto laughs behind him.

“You’re strange, Haru,” Makoto whispers into his ear. “I wish I could have known you earlier.”

Haruka doesn’t say anything. Makoto starts to drift off after a while. Haruka does not move him but instead opts to listen to his heart beat for a while. Somewhere between times he promises that next time he’ll be there for Makoto. He doesn’t know what next time means and it reminds him of what Makoto said earlier about knowing each other earlier. It makes him sad as he gets up alone in the empty house.

* * *

 

The next day Makoto wakes up early. He smells something. He wakes up lazily and wanders into the kitchen. Inside of it, over the stove, is an aproned Haruka focusing on the stove.

“What are you doing?”

“Making you breakfast.”

“Is that mackerel?”

“Yes.”

“Where did it come from?”

“This morning I bought some I used your wallet I didn’t think you would mind.”

Makoto starts to laugh. Haruka does not understand why. Makoto laughs until he cries a little and it worries Haruka until the larger man leans over him to taste what he is cooking.

“Good,” Makoto muses. This makes Haruka happy.

“Good.” Haruka says back and they just look at each other like that for a moment.

Makoto sets the small table as Haruka finishes cooking. Looking back at him, Makoto assumes that no one would think this man was anything but human. Most of the androids he worked with were very obviously not human. Many were in the shape of humans, sure, but they were given exaggerated features such as eyes too big. Haruka was made to look human. Sometimes in the middle of night when he would wake up and see Haruka next to him he would think he was sleeping instead of just shutting down.

Sometimes being with Haruka was lonelier then being alone.

Soon Haruka presents Makoto with the meal. It smells nostalgic and reminds Makoto of growing up as he eats it. Haruka stares politely through him.

Haruka watches Makoto eat and takes in his every movement. Makoto is beautiful he decides saving his every detail into his memory.

“Haru?” Makoto asks jolting Haruka from his processes. He looks up at him.

“Were you listening?”

“No.”

There is a small laugh here.

“I was asking if you’d like to go somewhere today. I’m already done with my report for this week.”

“Where will we be going?”

“I thought maybe that you’d like to see the ocean.”

* * *

 

The ocean is beautiful Haruka decides as he stares at it. He is speechless. Of course he had seen images of the ocean and looked up its precise meaning but something about standing there looking upon it felt special.

“You’re smiling.”

“I am?”

Makoto nods and wants to reach out and hold the robots hand.

“We can get a little closer.”

Haruka’s face brightens and Makoto knows just how deeply he cares for a thing that won’t care for him back.

“I was not aware,” Haruka says quietly closer to Makoto. Makoto knows he just misunderstood but doesn’t correct him. He just stands there. This time he does hold his hand.

“Follow me,” Makoto smiles and leads him to the ocean.

They talk about many things. Makoto tells Haruka about how he is still afraid to swim in the ocean. Haruka tells Makoto that he hopes that one day he will be able to swim. It gets late as the two just lie one the beach together.

“Maybe in our next lives we will meet sooner.”

“Do androids get those?”

“I hope so.”

“Me too.”

“I wish you weren’t a robot,” Makoto says looking into the ocean. “I would’ve liked to make you happy.”

Haruka wants to say that Makoto does make him happy and that he loves him. Instead he just nods.

“I wish I was human too.”

They watch the sun set before making the trip back home in silence.

* * *

 

It’s Sunday. Makoto remembers his plans to meet Rin. He isn’t exciting nor is he dreading it. He just knows he has to go.

Makoto waves at where Rin is standing. The red head looks cold but lightens up when he notices Makoto.

“It’s been a while, Tachibana,” Rin smiles grabbing the door to the diner. “I was worried this place wasn’t here anymore.”

They enter the restaurant and it hasn’t changed since the last time Rin and Makoto were in it. With the world slowly becoming more modernized and robots taking the place of many people in service jobs, it was seated by a human.

“It’s simple here,” Makoto says half smiling.

“I thought you’d like to get away from machines every once in a while.”

Makoto just nods as they order their food and get situated.

Soon they both get food. Rin starts eating immediately.

“Isn’t it weird,” Rin asks taking a bite of his food, looking up to Makoto.  “Living with one of them. The blank stares are so-“he trailed off taking another bite of the noodles.

“I sometimes think it’s strange,” Makoto lies shifting his food side from one side of the bowl to the other. “But the company is nice.”

“Makoto!” Rin grumbled his mouth half full of food. “I told you that Sousuke didn’t mind if you had to stay with us for a little bit especially after you know…” he trailed off again. Makoto noted that Rin had gotten kinder the older they had gotten. When they were young he didn’t have as much tact.

Rin was always kind, Makoto mused in the brief lull in conversation, just now he was nicer.

“He only says that because he loves you,” Makoto smiled putting his glass to his mouth. “And I would hate to impose.” That was only a half truth.

Rin sputtered turning a quiet red shade. Some things never changed.

“Don’t say those kinds of things so naturally,” Rin said brushing his bangs out of his face. His embarrassed face suddenly turned icy cold with seriousness.

“But seriously Makoto,” the way Rin said his name made his skin prickle. “We’re worried about you. You can’t be fine all the time. Don’t do something stupid okay?”

“I won’t,” Makoto told his smiling. Rin frowned. They continued to talk about average things and how they had been, things Makoto would forget but Rin wouldn’t.

They parted ways and Makoto decided to walk the long way home by the ocean. It had less vendors and people and robots. He would have liked to be born in a place without robots but then he wonders if he would have met Haruka. If he would have been happier not knowing Haru.

He stops by the ocean.

“It’s beautiful,” he whispers to himself walking towards it. He’s about to do something stupid.

“Sorry,” he mutters to no one. “I love you.”

He thinks he’s crying but he’s not sure anymore.

* * *

 

Haruka waited for Makoto to come home. He was late. Makoto was never late.

The phone rings. Haruka thinks to answer it for a moment but decides not to. A voice message plays through the house.

“Hey Makoto, it’s Rin. You didn’t seem too well when we left the restaurant. Call me when you get this. I’m sorry I’ve been distant but dammit. We all care about you okay? You don’t go to your appointments and I know it’s been a while since you last tried to you know…. I don’t know what I’m saying. Please call me back okay?”

Haruka did not stay to hear all of the message. Something felt wrong. He doesn’t pack anything or call anyone as he leaves the house. He does not know where he is going except that he already feels late.

 He soon found himself at the beach.

There was a figure in the water. Haruka knows. He runs into the beach and into the water.

Haruka grabs onto Makoto. His system data was corrupting and he could barely move his body.

“Makoto!” he screams but the body doesn’t move. He somehow manages to get him out of the water but he wasn’t breathing.

“Makoto!” he yells collapsing in a fit of mechanical error. “Makoto, the water it was so beautiful. Makoto, I swam. Makoto, I couldn’t save you.” His body was trying to save what it could of itself so it could be rebooted but Haruka overrides it again and again. He doesn’t want to be booted up and forget about the man he has spent the past months with or worse have to remember him.

Lying there, he wonders if they could have been happy. He guesses it’s not important now. He already misses Makoto.

“Makoto,” his voice doesn’t sound like it should. “I was happy with you. I’ll see you next time.” Haruka thinks about telling Makoto that he loves him but instead opts to tell him the next time they meet. He closes his eyes and takes a breath he doesn’t need before shutting down.

It’s quiet.


End file.
